Life net fire escape



(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 1. J RYAN LIFE NET FIRE ESCAPE.

N0. 480,139. PatentedAug. 2, 1892.

W e m M w (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. RYAN.

LIFE NET FIRE ESCAPE. 7

No. 480,139. Patented Aug. 2, 1892.

3 Sheets-Sheet; 3.

(No Model.)

J. RYAN.

LIFE NET FIRE ESCAPE.

No. 480,139. Patented Aug. 2, 1892.

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ilmeooaa UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES RYAN, OF NEYV YORK, N. Y.

LIFE-NET FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 480,139, dated August2, 1892.

Application filed April 14, 1892- Serial No. 429,183. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES RYAN, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Netsfor Fire-Escapes, and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to lettersof reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in fire-escapes which areemployed for catching persons jumping from burning buildings; and theinvention consists in providing a truckframe with a foldingsuperstructure, which carries a net and side wings therefor, which canbe supported and stretched above the truck-frame; and it furtherconsists in the construction and combination of the parts as will behereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a side elevation showing my improved fire-escape arranged in aposition for use. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing a portion of thesuperstructure with the frame folded. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. 4 is arear elevation.

A designates a truck, which is mounted upon suitable running-gear. Theside beams to a of the truck are provided near their front ends withshafts b and c, which carry suitable drums, and beyond the side beamssaid shafts have pinions keyed thereon in mesh with gear-Wheels b and c,which have crankhandles, as shown, for turning the same. The rear end ofthe truck is provided with a shaft d, with pinions in mesh withgear-wheels d. To the side beams of the truck are hinged standards B B,which are provided near their upper ends with bearings for rollers c 6,over which pass the net 0, said net being secured at one end to a seriesof springs f, attached to the cross-bar f of the truck-frame, and itsother end wound around a roller 6', fixed upon the shaft 0, located atthe front end of the truck. When the standards B B are lowered, theyrest upon springs g g, carried by the side beams, and when in such aposition the net 0 is wound upon the roller e.

h h designate guy-ropes, which are attached near the upper ends of thestandards B B and pass therefrom to suitable drums fixed upon the shaftsb and d, and by means of these connections the standards can be elevatedand braced in an upright position. The springs g 9 not only serve as arest or support for the standards, but also raise them to a slightly,inclined position, so that the guy-ropes can complete the elevationthereof.

To the upper ends of the standards 13 B are hinged or otherwise securedshort sections or extensions of the standards, said sections beingdesignated by the letter D, and are hinged to the outer sides of thestandards and are provided with nets E E. Each section or extension ofthe standards has pivotally secured thereto a rack-bar F, carrying loope' at its end, which embraces the rack-bar carried by the adjacentsection, and between these rack-bars, so as to be in mesh therewith, isa pinion t, provided with a crank-handle for turning the same to eitherspread the rackbars or draw them together. By this construction Iprovide the upper part of the net with flaring sides.

The center part of the truck is also provided with a net G, which may bepermanently attached to the side beams a a and to the cross-bars h h,and said not forms the.

bottom of the truck-frame and may be used in cases of emergency wherethere is not sufficient time to lift the superstructure, as thestandards lie above the side beams when folded and not within the same;but ordinarily the net G serves as a support for the nets 0 and E whenfolded upon the truck-frame.

The gear-wheels herein shown may be pro vided with suitable pawls andratchets or other means for holding them against rotation. Theextensions Dhave suitable eyes 70, with which hooks k engage when thesuperstructure is folded upon the truck-frame.

A truck constructed as hereinbefore described is extremely light, andthe superstructure may be readily and quickly elevated. Instead ofemploying nets, as shown, I may use canvas of suitable strength andelasticity.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a fire-escape, the combination of a truck having side beams a a,hinged standards B B, carrying rollers e e, and a net 0, adapted to bepassed over said rollers and secured at one end to the frame of thetruck and at the other end to a drum carried by the truck-frame,substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a fire-escape, the combination of a truck, standards B B, hingedthereto and provided with rollers over which a life-net passes,

a drum or Windlass carried by the truck,

around which the life-net is passed, and guy. ropes h h for raising thesupporting-standards and maintaining them inan elevated position,

substantiallyas shown, and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with a truck A, having standards B B hinged thereto,of .a lifenet supported by said standards and connected at one end tothe truck-frame by:

springs, the other end of the net being socured to a suitabe drum orWindlass carried by the frame, subtantially as shown, and for thepurpose set forth.

4. In a fire-escapeor life-net, the combinaticn of the standards B B,suitably supported I escape constructed substantially as shown, of thestandards B B, provided at their upper ends with extensions D, which arehinged thereto, rack-bars F F, pivoted to the extensions and held inlooped engagement with each other, and means for spreading saidextensions by engagement with the rack-bars, substantially as shown, andfor the purpose set forth.

6. The combination, with a truck having side beams a a, standards B B,hinged thereto and provided with supports for a life-net, of springs gg, upon which said standards bear when folded, and means for positivelyengaging the free ends of said standards with the side beams,substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

7. In combination with a truck, side beams aa, having standards hingedthereto to be supported in an inclined position thereon, said standardshaving extensions D hinged to swing upward from the upper ends of saidstandards, side and end nets carried by said extensions, and a life-net0, supported by roll ers e e, the ends of said life-net being connectedwith the truck-frame, drums also carried by the truck-frame and providedwith guy-ropes which connect thereto and with the standards, and a netor flexible bottom G, supported by the side beams and cross-bars of thetruck,substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES RYAN. lVitnesses:

MAX LEHMANN, Louis S. CORLIN.

